You are here

Justice News

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Middle District of Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, July 28, 2014

Ocala Man Convicted For Attempting To Purchase More Than 5 Kilograms Of Cocaine

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Vikey Omar Price (29, Ocala) guilty of aiding and abetting an attempt to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Price faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2014. The jury verdict was returned on July 23, 2014. Price and his co-defendant Delvon Williams were arrested on a criminal complaint on March 19, 2014. Both were indicted on March 26, 2014. Williams pleaded guilty for his role in this case on May 22, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, Williams negotiated a 10 kilogram cocaine purchase with another individual on March 19, 2014. Williams exchanged text messages and met with Price prior to meeting with the other individual. The individual made arrangements to introduce Williams to a source of cocaine supply. The source was a DEA agent working in an undercover capacity.

Williams and Price agreed that Price would pay for 3 kilograms of cocaine at $34,000 per kilogram, and that Williams would provide another 2 kilograms of cocaine to Price on consignment. Williams, in turn, negotiated with the individual, that Williams would pay for 4 kilograms of cocaine and receive 6 kilograms of cocaine on consignment.

In the late afternoon hours on March 19, 2014, Price followed Williams and the individual to a warehouse in Ocala. At the warehouse, Price remained in his vehicle, while Williams met with the cooperating individual and the undercover DEA agent. Williams provided two bags of money to the undercover agent. One bag contained $33,000 of the buy money. Another contained $101,985 of the buy money. When agents arrested Price, Price made conflicting statements concerning his knowledge of the drug transaction. At first, Price denied knowledge of the drug deal. Later, Price stated that he knew Williams was a cocaine dealer, but that he merely provided Williams $2,000 as a loan.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.